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AzerNEWS Staff

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said his government will pursue the diversification of the country’s gas supplies regardless of potential price increases, including exploring the possibility of receiving transit fees from a gas pipeline passing through Armenia under the TRIPP project.

“Gas in Armenia is not cheap,” Pashinyan said, arguing that the largest price mark-up occurs between the border and the consumer compared with other countries.

“What difference does it make to the consumer how much gas costs at the border, even if it is one metre from their home, if they pay a different price for that gas?” he said.

Pashinyan also said that Gazprom Armenia is a profitable company generating significant revenues.

“Gazprom Armenia is a profitable company that makes large profits. This is also a fact that we have to record,” the prime minister said.

He stressed that Armenia would continue to pursue diversification across all sectors as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s independence and statehood.

“There is no area in which we will not pursue diversification,” Pashinyan said. “We have a political decision: we will develop our independence and we will develop our statehood.”

Addressing the possibility of higher gas prices, Pashinyan said the government would assess the potential impact on other goods and services if such a scenario materialised.

“If there are such situations with price increases, we will also look at what can become more expensive or what we currently provide for free, and that could proportionally increase in price,” he said.

Pashinyan added that Armenia would seek to expand its gas supply options wherever possible.

“If there is an opportunity to bring gas from a second source, or to bring more gas from a second source, we will pursue that path,” he said. “If there is an opportunity to bring it from a third source, we will pursue that path. If there is an opportunity to receive it from a fourth source, we will pursue that path.”

He also specifically mentioned the possibility of Armenia benefiting from gas transit under the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

“If there is an opportunity for a gas pipeline to transit through Armenia within the framework of TRIPP, and for us to receive transit payments for this as well, we can pursue that path,” Pashinyan said.

“We envisage our actions under all scenarios,” the Armenian prime minister added.